Pedals in aircrafts are manipulated by a pilot's legs to control some aspect of the aircraft, such as for example the rudder or breaks of the aircraft. Currently, pedals have a single degree of freedom of adjustment within the cockpit to adjust for pilot comfort and optimal operating position. There are two typical philosophies related to adjustment of the pedals.
The first philosophy requires that the pedals remain substantially at a fixed distance above the floor of the cockpit. Typically, the adjustability will only be toward and away from the pilot's seat. In this configuration, the pilot's heel will be able to rest on the floor while at the same time the arch of the pilot's foot rests on the cylindrical part of the pedal no matter the position of the pedal.
The second philosophy transitions the pedals away from the floor as the pedals are adjusted aft (i.e. toward the pilot's seat). This philosophy is based on the assumption that the shorter pilot will have the seat raised and thus needs the pedals higher and closer to his body. Adjustment may also require rotation of the pedal toes in the forward motion direction (i.e. away from the seat) as the pedals move toward the seat to accommodate the shorter pilot's more vertical attitude.
Another problem with pedals in an aircraft is that the pedals are only used for a very small percentage of the total aircraft flying time. However, the pedals take up a large portion of the leg space in the cockpit causing discomfort for the pilot when the pedals are not in use.
The present invention provides improvements over the current state of the art of pedals for aircrafts.